Insect-collecting attachment for cultivators.



H. C(MAYERHOFF.

INSECT COLLECTING ATTACHMENT FOR CULTIVATORS.

' APPLICATION FILED DEC. 15, 1914.

1,156,303. I Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

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H. C. MAYERHOFF.

INSECT COLLECTING ATTACHMENT FOR CULTIVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 15. 1914.

1,156,303. Patented 0013.12,1915.

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Witnesses lnve 42: u Attorneys HUGH G. MAYERHOFF, OF BASIC, MISSISSIPPI.

INSECT-COLLECTING ATTACHMENT FOR CULTIVATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 15, 1914. Serial No. 877,389. 7

Z '0 all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, HUGH C. MAYERHOFF, a citizen of the United States,residing at Basic, in the county of Clarke and State of Mississippi,have invented a new and useful Insect-Collecting Attachment forCultivators, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention appertains to insect collecting apparatus, andaims primarily to provide a novel attachment for various cultivators,and which is adapted for collecting boll weevil from cotton plants, or

for gathering other insects also, this invention being an improvementover the machine for catching boll weevil-disclosed in my copendingapplication, Serial No. 791,537, filed September 24, 1913. i

This invention contemplates the provision of a cultivator attachmentwhich will be readily and effectively applicable to various sulky orriding cultivators for collecting the boll weevil or other insects fromthe opposite sides of a row of cotton plants, and other vegetation.

It is also within the scope of the invention, to improve the apparatusor attachment generally in its construction, to thereby enhance theutility thereof.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understoodthat changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can'be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

The invention has been illustrated in its preferred embodiment in theaccompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of a cultivatorhaving the present attachment applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is'a rear view of thecontrivan'ce. Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the main sectionof the present appliance. I

In the drawings, there is delineated an ordinary cultivator embodyingthe arched axle 1, having the ground wheels'2 journaled upon its ends orspindles," and having the tongue 3 secured'upon its upper or crestportion.

It is to ,be understood at the outset, that the present device may beapplied to various cultivators with equal success and propriety.

The coupling sockets 4 which are connected by universal joints to thelower portions of the arched axle 1, are utilized for the attach- 7 mentof the present appliance, when the beams or gang bars are removed.

The present appliance or attachment embodies two sections 5 and 5 whichare adapted to replace the pair of beams or gang bars (not shown) of thecultivator The section 5 is the main one, while the section 5 is anauxiliary or complementing one.

The section 5 embodies askeleton or frame- ,like beam 5 the forward endof which is engageable in one of the coupling sockets 4c 7 Patented Oct.12, 1915.

of the cultivator frame, while the section 5 embodies a beam similar tothe beam 5 and having its forward end engageable within the othercoupling socket 4, so that the two sections 5 and 5 of the appliance maytrail in rear of the axle 1 at the opposite sides of the converging"portions 7, and the inner ends of whloh are bent around cross rods 10,the terminals of which are bent into eyes'embracing the body or parallelportions of the rods 6, adjacent the converging portions 7. Thus, thebeam 5 is provided with a central opening between the body portions ofthe rods 6 and the cross rods 10, the said opening being designed forenabling the beater 'or agitator to operate therethrough as willhereinafter appear.

The rotary beater or agitator 11 embodies a pair of longitudinal bars 12bolted or otherwise clamped together over the body portion of one of therods 6 to rotate freely thereon, and dried and trimmed palmetto leaves13 having their stems secured in any suitable manner to the outer orremote sides of the bars 12'. The palmetto leaves 13 are ideal for thepurpose, since they are sufficiently stiff to shake the plants by theirengagement therewith, but they are also sufficiently flexible oryieldable to prevent in.

jury to the plants. The palmetto leaves 13 project in oppositedirections from the respective bars 12, and are yieldingly held innormal positions by means of U-shaped wire springs 14 terminally securedto the remote sides of the respective bars 12 and having theirintermediate or yoke portions bearing upon the palmetto leaves or beaterarms 13. The arms of the spring 141 are preferably provided with coils15 adjacent the bars 12, to assist in the action of the springs. Thesprings 1 1 normally hold the palm leaves 13 in proper position, andprevent the palm leaves from bending excessively or brea ring, andfurthermore return the palm leaves to normal position as soon as theyare free.

The beams 5 and 5 of the two sections each carry a pan or receiver 16.Each of the pans or receivers 16 is formed from a sheet metal blank, andcomprises the rectangular bottom 17 having the inclined tri angular ends18, the edges of the ends 18 ha ing upturned complementing tongues orhanger arms 19, while the outer edge of the bottom 17 is provided withan upturned flange 2O terminally riveted or otherwise secured to thebasal portions of the respective tongues or arms 19. The pans 16 aredisposed longitudinally underneath the beams i and 5 with those edges ofthe bottom plates 17 of the pans, remote from the flanges 20 arrangedadjacent each other to cooperate with the row of plants, and to workclose to the sides of the stalks.

The tongues or arms 19 of the pans 16 are provided with series ofapertures 21 through which retaining rings or elements 22 areengageable. The arms 19 of the pan 16 lying below or carried by the beam5 receives the said beam, and the retaining rings 22 are engaged throughthe respective apertures 21 so as to surround the beam 5 and hold thebeam and arms 19 in place. other pan 16 has the center rods 9 of thebeam 5 received between the arms 19 of the two pairs and the retainingrings. 22' are engaged through the respective apertures 21 of the saidarms 19 to embrace the rods 9 to hold the beam 5 and its pan in placerelative' to one another. Thus, the pans 16 are arranged to oscillatelaterally relative to the beams, and bv adjusting the retaining rings22, the relative vertical position of the beams and pans may beregulated as desired. The pans 16 may ride upon the soil in the form ofrunners, or the beams 5 and 5 may be carried by the usual handles orlifting levers not shown) of the cultivator in the same manner that theordinary cultivator beams or gang rods are manipulated. The forwardinclined ends .18 of the pans or receivers 16 serve as fenders to enablethe pans to pass over rocks and other obstructions, and the diagonal oroblique edges of The the forward ends 18 of the pans will also serve todeflect any stray objects out of the path of the pans, or to swing thepans laterally away from any unyielding obstructions so that the pansmay pass the same without in ury.

The actuating means for the beater or agitator 11 carried by the mainsection 5, embodies a transverse shaft 23 journaled in suitable bearings24-v attached to the upright portions of the arched aXle 1, a sprocketwheel 25 being secured upon one end of the shaft 23, and having asprocket chain 26 trained therearound. The sprocket chain 26 is passedaround a sprocket wheel 27 rigidly or fixedly secured to one of theground wheels 2 whereby when the cultivator is drawn over the soil, therotation of the said ground wheel will impart a rotatory movement to theshaft 23.

A bevel gear 28 is secured upon the shaft and one end portion of aflexible shaft 29 is journaled through one of the bearings 24 andcarries a. bevel gear intermeshing with the bevel gear 28. The other orlower end of the flexible shaft 29 is journaled through a suitablebearing 31 attached upon the forward cross rod 10 of the beam 5*, andcarries a spur gear intermeshing with a spur gear 33 formed. upon theforward ends of the bars 12. The parts or sections of the spur gear 33are formed upon the ends of the two bars 12, whereby when the bars 12are detached, they may be readily applied to or removed from thecorresponding rod 6 of the beam 5*.

In practice, after the usual cultivator beams or gang rods are detachedfrom the coupling sockets hthe beams 5 and 5 of the present appliancemay be attached to the coupling sockets in order to readily apply thepresent appliance to the cultivator, it being understood that if it isdesired, the cultivator blades or earth tilling elements may be attachedto the rear or free ends of the beams and 5 of the present appliance.Thus, it is even possible to cultivate or work the soil during thecollecting or gathering operation. 7 The shank formed by the forwardcoiled portion 8 of the beam 5 provides the means for engaging therespective coupling socket 4,. It is evident that by adjusting theretaining rings or elements 22, the pans or receivers 16 and beams 5 and5 maybe adjusted vertically relative to one another, as desired ornecessary.

Then when the cultivator is drawn for ward with the arched axle 1astride the row of plants, the sections of'the present appliance willtrail at the opposite sides of the row of plants, and theoperativeconnection between the heater or agitat r 1.1; and one of theground wheels 2, will cause the beater to be rotated. The palmettoleaves 13 in brushing against the sides of, the plants will shake oragitate them for dislodging the boll weevil or insects, in order thatthey will be caught and collected by the pans or receivers 16. Theinsects may be discharged from the receivers from time to time, and maybe destroyed or exterminated in any desirable manner. The presentappliance in being applicable to various cultivators, eliminates thenecessity of a special truck or sulky therefor, Which is of advantagefor obvious reasons. Although the present appliance is adaptedparticularly for collecting boll Weevil, Which are so destructive in thecotton growing regions, yet the appliance may be employed With successfor gathering other insects also.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is r 1. Aninsect collecting device embodying a beam, a pan disposed therebeloW andembodying a bottom having inclined triangular ends, the edges of thesaid ends having upwardly projecting complementing arms receiving thebeam, one edge of the bottom having an upturned flange terminallysecured to the respective arms, and retaining means carried by the armsand engaging the said beam.

2. In an insect collecting mechanism, a beam, a receiver disposedtherebeloW and connected thereto, a rotary agitator embodying a pair ofbars clamped together over a portion of the beam to rotate thereon,palmetto leaves having their stems secured to the said bars and.projecting in opposite directions therefrom, and U-shaped springssecured to the said bars and having their intermediate portions bearingagainst the said leaves. I V

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence oftwo Witnesses.

' HUGH C. MAYERHOFF.

Witnesses:

B. T. SPEED, C. C. HAND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe 0ommissioner of Patents, WashingtomD. 0.

